I touched the feathers trailing from my hat. “I feel like an idiot.”

“You look like one, too. But it’s dark, so this may work. Try to walk with a swagger, will you?”

The best swagger I could muster was closer to a drunkard’s reel. But perhaps that served just as well for a disguise, because we made it to the town house door unmolested. Beatrix, opening it, gasped and started to slam the door closed again at the sight of us, but Zaira stepped forward and waved her jess in her face.

“It’s me, you idiot! And this is the Lady Amalia,” she hissed. “Let us in, quickly!”

With profuse apologies at not recognizing us, Beatrix bowed us in. She shut and bolted the door behind us, at Zaira’s urging.

“Is Ignazio home?” I demanded.

“In his study, my lady.”

“And Lieutenant Verdi? Has he arrived yet?” He was supposed to come here after he finished his business at the garrison.

“I’m here,” Marcello called from the door to the front sitting room. “Are you—” he stopped, staring.

My hand went to my grime-smeared, mustached face. Heat climbed from my neck to my forehead.

“Isn’t she lovely?” Zaira cackled.

“I’m glad you’re all right.” He stepped toward me, relief warming his eyes. I lifted a hand between us—Beatrix was watching—and our fingers laced together for one brief moment before sliding apart.

“Drinks, perhaps, Beatrix?” I suggested.

She curtsied, but something uneasy flashed through her eyes before she left. Guilt? Good Graces, it would be like my mother to have a spy in her cousin’s house. She could be reporting every glance Marcello and I exchanged. My stomach twisted. Had I just sealed his assignment to the Vaskandran border?

I didn’t have time to worry about that now.

“We found the children,” I told Marcello. “And Lady Savony murdered the duke.”

“What?”

“She pinned it on Her Ladyship here,” Zaira added helpfully. “Someone’ll probably show up to arrest us soon enough, at which point I believe my orders are to set them on fire.”

Marcello felt around behind him, as if for a chair, but found only the foyer wall. He leaned against it, stunned despair sinking into the lines of his face. “We’ve lost, then. If Ardence sends soldiers after a Falcon and the Cornaro heir, there will be war. We can’t stop it now.”

“That can’t be true.” I lifted my chin. “Ardence hasn’t done anything of the sort. Lady Savony is a traitor and a murderer. We can’t hold the entire city accountable for her actions.”

Zaira snorted. “You’re pretending the world is fair again. Do you think that will matter to the doge?”